The F-35, The A-10 & The US Army.

First a couple of articles that you might have missed. via The Wall Street Journal.

Gen. Bogdan didn't reveal a target unit price for the F-35 in 2019. "The price needs to come down, no matter what," he said.
His comments came as Lockheed said Tuesday that it was preparing for more international sales of the F-35 in the wake of an agreement to sell at least 37 of the jets to the Netherlands, which has budgeted €4.5 billion ($6 billion) for the deal.
Uncertainty about overseas sales and the eventual tally for U.S. services remains a challenge to efforts to lower costs by boosting production rates.
The Netherlands, which spent 15 years deciding on replacing its aging F-16 fighters, becomes the seventh overseas customer for the F-35, with its initial delivery expected in 2019. The Netherlands cited defense cooperation with Belgium as part of its reason for the buying the F-35, raising the prospect that its neighbor would join other potential customers such as Singapore in evaluating the jet.

The next article you should check out is here.  via Foreign Policy Blog...

 Hostage told Army leaders that, "in order to ensure the jet noise you hear over your heads in the future is friendly, I've got to pair the force down, and one of the things I think I have to give up is [the] A-10. While they were not happy, the accepted it."

How did the service that led operations in Iraq and Afghanistan suddenly become the budget bitch boy?

I don't mind being vulgar but this is ridiculous.  The Army is getting fucked every way possible and it isn't fighting back at all.  Yeah we have Air/Sea Battle now but when it was Air/Land Battle, the indication is that the Navy didn't suffer the way the Army is about to.

I called the USAF Chief of Staff a clown for wearing the Captain America mask at the association.  You know how I feel about Amos.  He's a criminal in uniform and he's done more to weaken the Marine Corps than anyone or any enemy in its history.  Greenert is playing a long game but that left the US Army Chief of Staff.

Now we know.  He's the Air Forces bitch.  He has no plan, no idea and no fight in him.  His service is on the verge of being eviscerated and he hasn't said word one.

In the end Soldiers are gonna pay the price.  Faith will be broken and the Army will be hollow.

Remember this though.  Wars aren't won unless a skinny, testosterone filled teenager that's been taught certain skills with a combat rifle, is capable of living and operating in terrible conditions and sees it all as fun stands on a piece of ground.

A super small Army facing a mechanized, high tech Chinese foe won't do it.  The Marines might win the battle but we need an effective Army to win the war.  We're about to lose that Army...and its a Marine that's telling you so.